FACE VALUE

Why do we care what we look like? Why do we always hope to capture our ‘good side’? Why do we apply make-up? Why do we cover greys? Why do we airbrush images? Why do we aim to lose more weight than is necessary for health? Why do we damage ourselves in the name of beauty? What is beauty? For there to be an ideal of beauty, does that make anything not living up to this standard ugly? What makes us ugly? Having attended the opening of the ‘Love Me’ exhibition, Zed Nelson spoke of a globalised ‘ideal’ woman, due to the advent of mass media on a global scale. Once I feel myself observed by the lens, everything changes: I constitute myself in the process of ‘posing,’ I instantaneously make another body for myself, I transform myself in advance into an image [BATHES,R. The Photography Reader. Camera Lucida. p.22]

As quoted by Roland Barthes, do we all not do this, without consideration, without purpose? – hold ourselves in a way that is different having noticed the camera in our presence? Is this aspect of our nature related to our preoccupation with appearance? And is how?

Next to be considered is imagery of a person without their prior knowledge. The ‘Exposed’ exhibition at Tate Modern based on: voyeurism, surveillance and the camera showed this well.

To understand why we feel the need to control our exterior image, I must follow the logical route of examining body image and so let the topic of ‘body image’ begin with a quote from one of the founders of the Western Philosophical tradition, Aristotle:

For you cannot quite regard a man as happy if he be very ugly to look at. [RIEU.E.V.Aristotle. Ethics p.69]

I hope to further my knowledge of the relationship between

body image and self esteem through study, through researching of the media and personal experiments. By way of carrying out first hand research, I will also be partaking in plastic surgery consultations. The main part of the media on which I hope to concentrate is magazines, I am going to be looking at the images and the context in which people are exposed, and the effect they have upon those people.

Before one is able to consider why we care to be beautiful, one must consider what beauty is what makes a person beautiful? It cannot be doubted that beauty is a highly valued quality of societies throughout the world, and that people pass judgement on each other based primarily on their appearance. In spite of many proverbs – ‘Never judge a book by its cover’, ‘Beauty is only skin deep’, ‘Beauty is in the eye of the beholder’ – the idea that our outer appearance is a faithful representation of our inner self is an idea that is reinforced constantly by popular cultural literature.

Dr. Stephen R. Marquardit created the ‘Golden Dacagon Mask’. Marquardit created this two dimensional representation of a human face, he based the dimensions upon the ‘Devine Ratio’, also known as the ‘Golden’ or ‘phi ratio’: 1:1.618. This ratio, as seen in nature, Renaissance art, ancient Greek architecture and music, is believed to symbolise perfect natural harmony.

FIGURE 1

The closer a face is to this model, the more aesthetically pleasing that face is believed to be.

FIGURE 2

This idea of a golden ratio applied to facial features is not new. Figure 2 shows

Da Vinci’s’ own ‘Golden Mask’, already showing a history of idealised appearance based on proportion and symmetry.

Chapter one contains research into modern attitudes and conditions of women in the present day.

Most are guilty of being image-conscious today. This is seen in our wearing of make-up, hair dying, body forming undergarments; as well as more drastic and permanent forms of alteration of body form such as tattoos and cosmetic surgery beyond the purely ‘corrective’.

Anorexia is a major problem within society today, and has been a major health issue within society for the last three decades. This disease has been very strongly linked to how women are portrayed within fashion images, how slimmer women tend to be the women that are idolised and shown most within the media.

The first celebrity to known to have died from anorexia was Karen Carpenter in 1982. Since 1983, anorexia has become more common to celebrities for example; in 2006 two catwalk models were reported to have passed away due to the illness, Ana Carolina Reston and Luisel Ramos.

Diseases like anorexia occur for complicated psychological reasons and are not ‘’caught’’ by looking at fashion magazines.[1]

A compelling argument, but could it not be said that followers of fashion and fashion magazines may idolise the models that fill the pages, be influenced by their actions, and so be influenced by these models’ willingness to risk their health to be the thinnest they can be – in some cases compromising their health to the point of serious illness and death.

Some girls are naturally thin, yes ... but you cannot have a BMI of 15, 16 or 17 unless you are anorexic, bulimic or on coke. Any doctor or nutrition list will tell you that.[2]

‘House Of Thin’ website also claims that to have a BMI (Body Mass Index) of under 17.5 would make a woman anorexic. Younger women and children have a higher metabolism than that of a fully developed woman, due to continuing growth. Such a high metabolism can continue through to a woman’s late twenties. Therefore, surely a woman may continue to have a low BMI while still growing? Anorexia is a mental disease, not a measurement made by the ratio of weight to height.

As we age our bodies gradually ‘decline’. To have control over as many aspects of one’s life is seen to be desirable, including diet, food intake and weight, therefore making anorexia appealing to those with lack of other controls within other aspects of

their lives. Another way to control one’s appearance is through plastic surgery.

When looking at body image, to fully understand, empirical research was carried out in the form of participating in plastic surgery consultations. On enquiring about breast enlargements, it was found that this was the most popular surgery within the United Kingdom, and worldwide. Upon showing interest in plastic surgery, one company’s response was to send an e-mail headed with the following:

You are on the road to Make Yourself Amazing

Through their very name, what message are the body-manipulation company ‘Make Youself Amazing’ sending? That to insert silicone into the breast – tissue regulated by, and affecting, a woman’s hormones, allowing her to lactate and produce milk to allow a new life to receive all the nutrients it needs to develop – will make her ‘amazing’. That to file away part of one’s nose, reducing the size of the nasal passages that allow us to breath in air, restricting this air flow, which on average is twenty-one percent oxygen, four hundredths of a percent carbon dioxide, and breathe out four to five percent less oxygen, and more respectively of these elements, to allow us to live, would make one amazing. Is the human body not amazing in every process and within form, whether human or animal form, as it is? Is the anatomical functioning of our bodies not tremendously more ‘amazing’ than their superficial appearance? Are the two positively related? The aim of this dissertation is not to judge changing ones’ appearance through surgery, but to consider that process – a process that appears to be playing on the insecurities of a person already harbouring insecurities about their appearance, that say that this person is capable of being ‘Amazing’, after following the steps in the direction of this company. This statement was also made in the following way:

This statement also allows the patient the control, stating that you are making yourself amazing, they will simply help, assist in you controlling your own image.

Having approached three different companies, it was found that they each had tactics, tactics very different from one another. The first (Make Yourself Amazing) was that of the manipulation shown above, followed by friendship, the consultant was immediately on a first name basis with the patient, showing enthusiastic interest in aspects of the patients life not related to the reasons for their meeting. Also having gone through the procedure herself, the host invited the patient to physically examine her breasts. This tactic leads to the patient feeling more comfortable within the presence of the consultant, and to be influenced by her opinion like that of a friend, which would lead to trust, and trust in the consultant would lead to trust in the company and so more likely to lead to a sale.

The first thing the second company (SurgiCare) did was to put the patient in a room with a surgeon. Before speaking face to face with a company representative, the patient was examined topless by the surgeon who was to carry out the procedure. This more distant professionalism left the patient feeling uncomfortable and vulnerable. However, doing this would ultimately perhaps lead to peace of mind for the patient as they have immediate direct contact with the hands that are to eventually carry out the surgery. Following this, the patient spoke to a company representative, this representative was happy to promote their own company by speaking negatively about other companies. This may have been part of their tactics, or it may have been from the personal experience of the lady representing Surgicare.

Within the Treatment Guide sent to the patient from this company, there were boasting statements such as:

With promises of improved sexual confidence and, in turn, a more satisfying sex life, this company will lead a patient to believe that by paying for this cosmetic surgical procedure they are almost buying the gift of good sex for themselves and any future sexual partners. Many may link this to better relationships with future sexual partners also. Would it not serve their interests better to simply find a considerate partner, who accepts them as they are, rather than one who they would appear to promote and allow to perceive them as little more than a physical object to be used as sexual gratification?

Much like the statements made by MYA, SurgiCare claims to care for the whole you, would that include the parts they aim to remove and dispose of from one’s own body?

These companies happily used tactics to work on the patients’ insecurities to help ensure a sale. To the patient this surgery will change how they feel about themselves, possibly even make them ‘amazing’, but to the companies, it would appear they are a statistic, a sale. This theory may be backed up with the following:

Also an historical trend set by Coco Chanel in the 1930s, still strong within the trends in England today is to have an apparent tan. A tan is desirable as it can be linked with travel and so personal wealth, when burned the skin plumps up, pushing out some wrinkles and imperfections such as bruises, shallow veins and dark areas of skin are less apparent. Those that do not have the opportunity to naturally gain a tan often, are able to do so via tanning booths and sun-beds that harness the power of UV radiation. When talking to skin specialists Sk:n, it was made apparent the dangers of sun-beds. Sun-beds expose the skin to UVA and UVB, these are the wavebands in the electromagnetic spectrum from the sun that age and burn the skin. Also, the benefit conferred by sunlight through its ability to trigger the process that produces vitamin D in the skin is almost completely absent in the artificial beams produced by booths. Despite this unhealthy onslaught from the artificial light, one feels as happy as if they have been exposed to sunlight. This is due to the tanning process being sufficiently similar to that of enjoying natural light environments.

To assume the direct and invariable link between the two would also dictate one to not be ugly if they are happy. And would further suggest that all beautiful people are relatively happy and all very ugly people crippled on the inside! So, the assumption leads to what must surely be an inaccurate conclusion.

To blame sexuality and gender for ones’ body image may appear logical. Trying to make oneself more attractive to the desired gender is common.

What is physically most attractive about a woman? ... Like you probably guessed, breasts. Wrong. Eyes got the biggest score of twenty one percent, followed by legs which nineteen percent of men liked. What this shows is the difference between what women think men like and what they actually do like ... only five percent of women thought that their legs were important ... [9]

The rest of the statistics from this survey were as follows:

16% Breasts

15% Bottom

8% Posture

7% Complexion

4% Waistline

3% Hips

2% Hair

1% Mouth

This implies men are happy with a curvier woman. With the opinion that many women have about the views of a man proven to be incorrect, one must consider how women do feel about themselves.

One female boss was warned that her cleavage could constitute sexual harassment of her male colleagues.[10]

With women believing that their breasts are their best assets, the part of them noticed first, to have them on display would be to show off ones’ most attractive feature. To do so, this could be argued is to make a woman feel more confident within herself, but to do so is not always appropriate. A woman may be left having to remove what she feels is her most attractive feature from sight, removing the confidence feeling attractive gave her.

We look at ourselves not as we see ourselves but as we imagine others see us. If we feel others view us favourably, then our self-concept is enhanced. However, if we feel others view us unfavourably, then we experience negative feelings towards our self.[11]

This reiterated the point that one is affected by direct criticism made of oneself by others.

An exhausted blonde with enormous breasts, a leathery face and a mouth like a slit throat walked by. I thought she was the cleaner ... these very different bodies were all indifferently displayed and ruthlessly analysed – not by the ‘gentlemen’ for whom the club catered, but by the women who worked there. Physical beauty is far more important to women.[12]

The idea that the body image and self esteem problems of a woman stem from the views of another woman is a subject touched on within feminism. To be one’s own harshest critic, due to the knowledge of how harsh ones’ self views the appearance of another person of the same gender.

Magazines were a big thing, especially in the teen years of your life. There were always articles talking about how to become thinner and sexier and how to attract the opposite sex. Everything seemed to focus on that in the media.[13]

FIGURE 3

Gossip magazines are the most regularly published magazines, most being published weekly. They also appear to be sold in all newsagents, whether it be attached to a newspaper or separately. Within these magazines, one’s physical size is very prominent. Having studied four different magazines from the same week; Heat, New, Closer and Star, all four had image based stories advertised on the cover, three of the four had stories based just on weight, containing a minimum of a double page spread for this story. A woman may choose to buy this magazine and then be bombarded with stories of body image, or it could be that a woman buys it due to interest in the body image of others, although the main story upon the cover on all four magazines is celebrity-gossip and not body image based.

FIGURE 4

Figure three shows an image Ralph Lauren used in 2009, depicting a models hips and waist smaller than her head. Giving false expectation of body perfection to viewers. In November of 2009 the Advertising Standards Agency were advised by Academic Doctors to make airbrushed images carry a notice clearly showing the image has been digitally altered.

Upon carrying out a survey of peoples’ body images and what media they chose to expose themselves, the following results were found:

Body confidence compared to the number of

hours per week spent watching positive over negative media:

FIGURE 5

This graph shows body image (x axis) against a ratio of positive body image media such as books and documentaries, to negative body image media such as gossip magazines and film (y axis). The ration was made my dividing the average hours per week viewing negative media by that of negative media, the higher the result, the more negate media viewed, the closer the zero, the more positive media viewed, with one being the threshold of an even viewing. The lack of correlation between the results shows no conclusive pattern between the type of media viewed by a person, and their personal body image.